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Perinatal complications and cesarean delivery among foreign‐born and Australian‐born women in Western Australia, 1998–2006
Author(s) -
von Katterfeld Brilliana,
Li Jianghong,
McNamara Beverley,
Langridge Amanda T.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.09.012
Subject(s) - medicine , obstetrics , logistic regression , complication , pregnancy , cesarean delivery , demography , pediatrics , surgery , genetics , sociology , biology
Objective To determine whether common perinatal complications could explain variation in risk of cesarean among foreign‐born and Australian‐born women in Western Australia (WA). Methods Complication prevalence was calculated using the linked records of 208 982 confinements to non‐indigenous women in WA between 1998 and 2006. Logistic regression was used to estimate differences in risk of elective cesarean and emergency cesarean compared with vaginal delivery for foreign‐born women from different regions. Results The most common complications in emergency cesareans were failure to progress (36.7%) and fetal distress (35.7%). The most common complications in elective cesareans were previous cesarean (56.2%) and malpresentation (16.3%). Women from Sub‐Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Southern and Central Asia had an increased risk of emergency cesarean compared with Australian‐born women ( P < 0.05), whereas women from Oceania, North Africa and the Middle East, and Northeast Asia had a decreased likelihood of elective cesarean compared with Australian‐born women ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Complication prevalence varied by maternal region of birth. However, variation in these complications does not completely explain differences in mode of delivery among foreign‐born and Australian‐born women in WA. Sociocultural factors must be considered in future research and when establishing culturally appropriate guidelines for obstetric staff dealing with foreign‐born women.